Improving ugly sparkle wrap? - Page 1

I'm sure this has been addressed here somewhere, but does anyone have any tips? I got my '66 Pearl silver sparkle set from eBay on Friday, and it looks worse than I thought. I'm still glad I got it, it's just that it's gonna take more work than I expected. I want to keep some of the patina, but the wrap is in worse shape than I could see in the photos. I can repair the peeling and splits easy enough, but has anyone had any luck with stains or uneven fading? I don't want to spend the time or money rewrapping them, I'm just hoping to make them a little less ugly. If there was ever a clearcoat on them, it appears to be long gone. I have a really nice paint booth at work, so I thought if I could get them cleaner and smoother, I can shoot a nice coat of gloss or semi-gloss then.

Also.......the wood is pretty dried out inside and split/peeling in a few spots. I can make the repairs, but do you recommend paint or oil to preserve the insides? These things are probably never going to have much collector value at this point, so historical authenticity isn't too important to me. Oh, and no markings or serial numbers are present inside anyway.

Well, after filling some of the splits, peels, and dents in the inside of the shell, I think painting them is the best option, unless I use coated heads. What paint best duplicates the white on old Ludwigs? Is it a pure or off-white? Textured or smooth? Flat or gloss?

Thanks!

Hi. Congrats on your purchase. A few comments...about 2 cents worth.....

Took a look at your pics in the other thread as well. These drums look like a good candidate for a re-wrap - I think you could up the value possibly. Personally, I would go with a wrap versus laquer/paint finish to keep the vintage look and sound. I would put on new generic hoops and lug screws and keep the old lugs and badges. A black or blue MP would look killer IMHO. Wrapping is not as expensive or time consuming as you might think and it can cover a multitude of sins. Prepping for paint/clearcoat can be tough ....but as a painter you can probably do ok. On the interior, I would sand/fill as you suggest and oil if it is overly dry and brittle. If not, I would just spray with a polyurethane to preserve from further damage. Personally, I wouldn't worry about painting the insides.

Looks like the bearing edges may have been recut at one time with a 45 degree profile although its hard to tell for sure from the pics. Check squareness and edge condition. If ok, I would leave as is or consider a recut if you have problems. Now is the time to do it before you put on a new finish.

For heads, I think the Aquarian vintage (as mentioned in the other thread) is a good choice. If you have too much overtone, try a thin 2 ply like Aquarian Response II's or rings.

And remember, have fun.